Under the Aegis of Alexandria
by Hastseoltoi
Summary: When the run team goes missing, the Greene sisters take matters into their own hands. Sequel to A Truer Path to Walk. Tareth.
1. Chapter 1

It wasn't until later in the afternoon that Beth realized that she had forgotten to kiss Tara goodbye when the run-team left Alexandria that morning. It gave her a moment of pause, and she frowned over her work long enough that Rosita noticed and asked her about what was wrong.

"It's silly, but I always kiss her for good luck, you know. Like a little tradition before she leaves the walls." Beth shrugged and tried to focus on her work. She wasn't doing anything very important but it did require her attention.

Rosita had nodded in understanding though, "I get it. Abraham leaves the walls to work on expanding the safe zone, and I worried about him at first. Especially when they had that small group of walkers attack and everyone else just stood around helplessly. He told me about it later and it was scary because I could see how worried he was about what had happened. It's better now, not that I don't worry about him still, but I totally understand the good luck traditions."

Beth had gone back to studying the medical text she was trying to understand, her work of the day, and they had dropped the subject. She thought about it again later when the run team failed to return to Alexandria before dark though. It wasn't completely unheard of that the run team would stay out overnight, but that was usually planned in advance, and this time Glenn had sworn they wouldn't be out for more than a few hours.

Maggie was fidgeting at dinner, staring at the door and then becoming bright and animated for shorts bursts before fidgeting with her fork again. Beth wasn't the only one to notice, and Rick laid a hand on her sister's arm, leaning close to say something to her in a low voice. Maggie gave him a side-eyed look and went back to picking at her food, but didn't say anything in response, and Beth knew she'd have to find out what he said later.

Carol seemed to notice Beth's own unease, and tried to down-play it, "It was a long run today, wasn't it? They must have found something good." They seemed to think that Beth's youth made her blind to the looks they shared though.

"They know how to take care of themselves out there. They'll probably be back tonight still." Michonne passed a bowl of mashed potatoes down the table to Abraham and accepted the salt in return, "I'll check with the gate crew to see if there was any contact, as soon as we finish dinner."

"Thanks, Michonne. I know they are good at these runs, but I still worry." Beth stabbed a carrot and mushed it with the side of her fork. She ate the rest of her meal in silence, but looked toward Maggie often. Tara had already been hurt more than once while on supposedly safe runs. She had been injured before she had ever come into contact with their group at the Prison too. Beth had the feeling that her girlfriend was a magnet for trouble sometimes, and that was a little scary when they were overdue from their run.

Maggie had noticed the looks and she grabbed Beth and volunteered them to do the dishes after the meal. "Okay, you know what I'm thinking and I know that you are worried too. Tell me everything is going to be alright?"

"Everything is going to be alright." Beth took the dish towel and started drying the dishes as Maggie washed them. "It probably is, you know. Even if they don't return tonight you know that Glenn would find a safe spot for them to ride out the night and then they'd be back in the morning. He's good at this kind of stuff, right?"

Maggie nodded, "True, and it isn't as though they haven't been gone over night before. I'm just worried. I have a bad feeling about this run. They went in a direction they haven't explored very much before and they said they were coming back before dark."

"But we both know that anything can happen out there. Lots of things that are perfectly innocent. They might have found more supplies than they had expected, or there could have been problems with the roads after all that rain we had last month." Beth watched her sister for a moment, "I have to admit that I have a bad feeling too, but I hope I'm just overreacting. I forgot to kiss Tara goodbye and it makes everything feel like it didn't start properly." She shrugged and started putting plates in the cupboard.

"I know." Maggie snorted, "You remember how Daddy always said cell phones were awful and that we shouldn't have one until we were paying for it ourselves? Well, I think in our current situation working cell phones would be a godsend. I just wish I could pick up a phone and ask Glenn if they were okay and if they were on their way home."

Beth nodded, "Let's finish this and find something to really distract ourselves with. Tara and Eugene found some games and I bet we could get some of the others to play with us. Carl loves that one Star Wars monopoly game. It would keep us occupied for a few hours and then maybe the run team would be back."

Hours later, after playing three games, it was dark outside and there was still no sign of the run team. Abraham and Rosita had gone for a walk and reported that the gate teams hadn't gotten any word from Glenn or the others, and that the town was being locked up for the night. Someone would be on guard, but no one seemed to think that anyone would be returning to Alexandria before morning.

"Stay with me tonight?" Maggie stopped Beth before she left the house, about to head for the room she shared with Tara in the other house. "I don't want to be alone."

Beth nodded, "Alright, I don't really want to be by myself either." She was still intent on trying to find something to have hope for, so she managed a weak smile, "It'll be like when I was little and tried to hang out in your room all the time."


	2. Chapter 2

Maggie wasn't fooling around when she woke up in the morning and the run team still hadn't returned. She hustled Beth into getting up early and hurried her sister off to her clinic work while she took her concerns to Deanna. Though Rick was taking control of a lot in the community, Deanna was their official leader and Maggie was still assisting her in the day-to-day operations of the small town. The woman still wasn't in a good place, however, and didn't have a solution for Maggie, only a suggestion. "Aren't Aaron and Daryl going out on one of their scouting trips today? Maybe they could look for the team while they're out there."

Maggie nodded and headed straight to Aaron's home, where she found them gearing up in the driveway. Aaron looked at her curiously, but Daryl seemed to know what she wanted before she even opened her mouth.

"I know, I know, Carol already told me you would ask about this." Daryl held up his hand and she glowered at him, tilting her head to give him an impatient look. He ignored her and turned to Aaron instead, "The run team didn't come back as planned and she wants us to look for them."

Aaron shrugged, "Our route is flexible. We could look to see if they ran into trouble." He glanced toward the house before turning back to Maggie, his expression stern, "We're not a search and rescue team though, and the run team might already be on their way back here."

"I know, and I'm probably just over-reacting, but I have a bad feeling about this. I'd go out myself, but I don't know the roads here very well. It would take me a lot longer to find traces of them out there."

Aaron looked across the roof of his car at Daryl, "I'm okay with this, if you are."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Daryl scowled at Maggie, "No promises, but we'll look." If he were being honest with himself he would admit that he was a little worried too. He had known Glenn for a couple years and the younger man was always careful, was skilled at getting in and out of strange new places and had never been late before without good reason. He was hardly going to admit that to Maggie, who was already overly worried or even to Aaron, who tended to be fairly careful and observant himself. Of course it was probably apparent to him already so Daryl didn't have to say anything.

"Do you know what route they were going to take?" Maggie didn't have any maps, but Glenn had mentioned the highway number and a town that was just up the road.

"Yeah, Glenn usually lets me know what routes they're taking. He likes to get our impression of the area before taking the team out there." Daryl shrugged and pointed at the map that was still spread across the hood of the car, "We haven't been on that route more than once in the last month, and it's rained a lot since then, but we know the roads and the best stops along the route."

She hesitated again, knowing that she could probably get back to Deanna or go home, but it was hard to leave. Aaron seemed to notice her discomfort though and he spoke up again, "We'll get on the road in a few minutes. I just need to check on something with Eric, and we need to get all of this put away."

She nodded, "Thank you. Beth and I both really appreciate this." She started slightly as Daryl gave her arm a squeeze, and Aaron seemed to think that was odd as well but he didn't say anything.

"We'll let you know what happens." Daryl grabbed the map, folding it efficiently and sticking it into his back pocket, and she took that as her dismissal. He looked over the roof of the car again, at Aaron, as she left the driveway. "Gonna tell Eric about the change in plans?"

"Yeah, I'll just go do that." Eric was used to the last minute plan changes that had happened over and over again in the last few months as the Wolves and other dangers had become evident. He just sighed and hugged Aaron a little more tightly.

"I'm sure they would do the same for me if you and Daryl were overdue after a run." He frowned, "Just, please, don't take any crazy chances?"

"We'll be careful, I promise." They were still kissing good-bye when Daryl entered the house and cleared his throat.

He smirked at them when they broke apart. "Gotta get going if we're gonna be back by tonight."

Aaron shook his head and hugged Eric one more time before following Daryl outside to the driveway. "You need someone to hug you goodbye too?"

Daryl snorted, "What makes you think I didn't before I come over here?"

It didn't take them long to get out onto the road, the guards at the gate waving as they left Alexandria; Daryl by motorcycle and Aaron following in his car. Daryl led the way to the highway that Glenn had planned to take, and though they passed a few abandoned cars on the way they were the cars that had been moved off the road long before. Daryl stopped at the crossroads to the county highway, and Aaron pulled the car up beside him.

Both vehicles were loud compared to the stillness of the country-side, a warning or a signal to anyone nearby that they were there. "I was thinking that I should go ahead, to the rise in the road up there and see if there are any blocks." Daryl shrugged. "Not coming across them yet, heading for home? Makes me wonder if Maggie was right to worry." It was getting close to noon and a small delay would have had the team arriving back at Alexandria if they had only found shelter for the night.

"Alright, signal me if the road is clear and I'll follow." Aaron put the car in park and got out the binoculars, while Daryl went ahead on the bike again. He didn't have long to wait before Daryl was waving for him to approach and he parked again next to Daryl, in the middle of the road. The vantage point from the car wasn't as good as the bike, however, so he got out to stretch his legs and to look at what Daryl was gesturing toward.

The road was mostly straight and narrow and they could see for several miles before it curved and disappeared through the trees. What they could see was mostly clear. Just one small cluster of vehicles about two miles ahead, blocking both lanes of the highway. Aaron grabbed the binoculars from the front seat of the car and silently studied the small traffic snarl.

"That blue car; that looks like one of the run vehicles. Do you think the accident happened on their way back?" Aaron passed the binoculars to Daryl and he studied the cars for a few moments too.

"Yeah, but I don't think it looks like it was an accident." He scanned the sides of the road nearest the group of cars, "I think it looks like a well-laid trap, and I think we'd better get off the road."

Aaron grabbed the strap of the instrument as Daryl handed it back to him, and he tossed it into the passenger seat, "Here or further back the way we came? There was a turn off to a driveway that we just passed."

"Sounds good, let's go back to that point." Daryl was still staring down the road, squinting at the accident.

"I'll radio Alexandria to let them know where we are and what's happening." Aaron was about to grab his walkie when Daryl stopped him.

"No specifics about the location. If it is a trap down there they might be using something that could overhear. Maggie will know our route, just let her know we're on the planned trail." Daryl shook his head, "I'm getting a bad feeling about this now too." He backed the motorcycle up a bit so he could get it turned around. "Call, and then follow."

When Aaron parked in the turn-off, Daryl was already rummaging through the motorcycle saddlebags, getting out a bottle of water. "I still want to get back to Alexandria tonight, but if we go forward here it should be on foot."


	3. Chapter 3

They decided to approach the cars cautiously; each taking a side of the road and entering the woods. Daryl was more experienced in moving silently in the wilderness, but Aaron had some experience from tracking and watching potential residents. Daryl had also been helping him improve his tracking skills when they were out looking for traces of other people. There could be people on either side of the road, or on both, or as Daryl hoped on neither. They just knew that whatever might be the case, they had to approach undetected.

The slow pace meant that a lot of time passed before they reached the area that was closest to the cars. Aaron put down three walkers along the deer path, none of them proving to be very difficult. When he got to the spot that seemed the most likely for use as a look-out to the road, he found a candy bar wrapper crumpled and dropped near one of the larger trees. There was a lot of disturbance of the dirt around the roots too, but he looked around and up the tree and couldn't find a sign that anyone was still in the area. He clicked the walkie twice to let Daryl know his side of the road was clear and received the same in return.

Daryl came out of the treeline slowly and waved Aaron to join him at the tangle of cars. It looked as though the small blue car, the one of the vehicles that the run team had been using, had been stopped with a tire shredding chair across the road, parts of it were still hidden by leaves and other debris. The side of the car was then struck by a truck that still had its bumper against the rear passenger-side door. The truck appeared to have come out from a side road, and had impacted with enough force to spin both vehicles so that they were in the center of the road. There was glass spread along the road, and they both were careful to avoid stepping on it as much as possible.

Daryl walked around the additional cars, two of them, which had boxed in the two vehicles that had collided. It looked like it was a well-thought out plan to stop a vehicle full of unsuspecting people. He stopped finally, standing behind the blue car and looked over at Aaron.

Aaron had done what Daryl had purposefully avoided; he peered into the blue car. There were bullet holes in the side of the car and he couldn't tell if the windows had broken because of the impact or if they had been shot out. He could see that there was only one body inside, a young woman from Alexandria that he knew in passing. He glanced up at Daryl when the other man stopped walking around the crash. "It's Liz. I think she's dead." He moved to get closer, and had his hand on the door hand of the driver's side rear door, and then stopped. There was no movement, but Daryl brought his crossbow up anyway and nodded to Aaron for him to open the door.

The metal creaked but there was still no movement from within. Aaron reached inside, and had to crawl partway into the backseat to reach the young woman, so he could check for a pulse. Her head moved back though and he saw that there was no point. There was a single bullet hole in the side of her forehead. It had probably killed her instantly. He sighed and scrambled back out of the car. "Dead. Shot."

Daryl looked around the site again, not liking the stillness or the elaborateness of this trap. "We should get back to Alexandria. It's getting late and we can't do much here."

Aaron was brushing his clothing off, having picked up small bits of fluff from the seat of the car. "I think that they were hit on the way out for their run, not on the way back. If the rest of them are alive, they could be anywhere."

"Yeah, we could try tracking, but it would keep us out too long. Better to get back and take a team out for that purpose tomorrow." He didn't like the idea of leaving their runners in the hands of whomever had set up this trap, but if they disappeared too it wouldn't do anyone any good. They needed more people, and to be more prepared for a search and rescue. Aaron had said it earlier, to Maggie; they were not search and rescue, they were recruiting. Daryl scowled at the cars and Aaron waved to get his attention.

"Should I bring the car down here? We could put her body in the backseat. Her family would want to get the body back for burial."

"Yeah, I'll stay here and make sure no one approaches. You can drop me off at the bike again when we get out of here." Daryl popped the trunk open, grabbing a blanket. "I'll get her out of the car and we can wrap her in this."

"I think we should call see if we can contact Alexandria again before we arrive too." Aaron gestured toward the blanket, "Let them know who we're bringing back with us, so they don't see a body and freak out. I don't want Maggie or Beth to be there and think we found Glenn or Tara. I wish we had the run team take radios. We might have had a clue that something was happening to them at the very least."

Daryl nodded, "Yeah. I have the feeling that radio and walkies will be standard for anyone leaving the wall from now on. Let's stop at the crossroads again and try to call from there. I need to talk to Rick."

Aaron jogged back to the car and Daryl turned to the accident scene. It wasn't impossible to get the girl's body out as the vehicles were stopped, but it would be easier if he could move one of the other cars. He was surprised that the two extra vehicles hadn't been taken wherever the people had gone; it would have made sense to use them as transport when they had the extra five people from the run team, but then the team's van was missing too. The car keys were not inside, and he supposed that they might still be planning to come back for it, so he popped it into neutral and pushed it away slowly. He just needed a little extra space to get the door fully opened.

He was getting the body out when Aaron returned, and they both managed to get her wrapped into the blanket and laid across the backseat of Aaron's car. "I really want to get out of this place. Now. I have a bad feeling, like they might be back soon." Aaron shrugged, "Ready?"

Daryl nodded, getting into the passenger seat and putting his bow down by his feet, "They're going to want to know everything we saw out here."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Maggie wanted to come back out tonight. I would, if I were in her situation." Aaron got the car turned around again and started back toward home.


	4. Chapter 4

Beth had been nervy all day long, which was getting on Rosita's last nerve. The dark-haired young woman finally threw her hands up and ordered Beth to go home for the rest of the day. It didn't solve her nerviness, but at least she wasn't going to be in the way at the clinic any longer. Instead she was in the way at home, not that Carol would have put it that way.

Carol took the opportunity to prepare a dinner which had been a comfort food when they were on the road in Georgia, before they had found the prison. Daryl had caught a brace of rabbits and they had found an old winter garden with onions and squash. It had been the first decent meal in weeks, and they had made a celebration of it while Carol fried everything up with the last of their salt and olive oil. Now that they had their own garden she was able to add a few more things as sides, but the onion, squash and rabbit fry-up still brought smiles to the faces she saw around her table.

She had Beth help chop everything, and then sent the girl out to gather some late beans. It helped to have tasks to keep the mind busy; she had learned that while Sophia was missing, and Beth had learned the same while they were at the prison and she was staying focused on the job she had been assigned even under great stress. Carol hoped that Beth could retain some of that focus again, but she knew that it wasn't going to last if they didn't get good news.

It was so soon to be upset, or it would have been in the old world, but too many things could go terribly wrong very quickly now. Carol was already planning for the worst, and she could see that Beth was doing the same. As they set the table for dinner, she asked, "Do you have a plan?"

Beth didn't even hesitate, "Yes." She shrugged, "It depends on what Daryl and Aaron tell us, if they find anything out there, but yeah I do have plans."

"If one of those plans includes going out there to look for them, count on me being a part of it." She met Beth's gaze steadily, "If you need my help you have it."

Beth stared at her for a few more seconds, a little shocked, "Thank you."

"I understand what it's like to have someone go missing." Carol set the last plate down, "More than most people here, probably, so don't hesitate on asking for help."

They finished their task in silence, and started cooking. No one else would be coming back to the house for some time yet, unless schedules had changed like Beth's had. Carol was happy to work quietly, if that was what her friend needed, but Beth spoke up again after a short time, "I keep thinking that maybe we don't get to be happy anymore. I mean, every time something seems to be going right, or feels good, everything falls apart and I lose it. That's why I never really got close to people at the prison; I knew that we were all dead, some of us just don't notice right away."

Carol started to reach out to her but Beth avoided the touch, "I don't want you to feel sorry for me, or try to talk me out of my feelings. I just wanted to say it out loud, once. When we were on the road looking for Noah's home, I thought that there might finally be a chance to live again, but that fell apart too. When we got here, I hoped that we finally found a place to be safe, and I thought that I might actually have a future with someone. But it's all going to fall apart again, isn't it?"

"Beth, we both know that there are no guarantees in this world, but you can't give up so quickly. Look at your sister and Glenn. After the prison fell, they might never have found each other again if it weren't for friends helping them along the way. Including Tara, you know. A dozen or more things could have kept them from ever seeing one another again, but they were reunited. Sometimes love can find a way." Carol reached out again and this time Beth allowed her shoulder to be rubbed, "Don't give up on Tara. She is a resourceful young woman, and I know that she won't give up on you."

Rick had news for them at dinner, but it wasn't good. Beth took it stoically, but Maggie barely stopped herself from crying. She had been through too much, always finding a way to be with Glenn, for this to be how it ended. They didn't know what had happened exactly, but she could guess that it was something bad.

"I wanted to tell you this now because Daryl and Aaron are coming back tonight, and should be in the walls before dark, but they are bringing back Liz's body. They didn't want you to see that and worry that it was Glenn or Tara. I know you feel bad for Liz and her family, and we're all worried about the entire run team, but we also know that the two of you have special concerns." Rick looked directly at the two Greene sisters as he spoke, "When they get back tonight we'll find out what they saw out there, and then we can make plans."

Maggie opened her mouth to speak and Beth cut her off, "If someone is going out there again to search, or track, or whatever, I'm going with. Non-negotiable. I refuse to stay here and be treated like the poor little woman waiting at home."

Carol was nodding, "I'm going out too. I think we could have a fairly decent team, if that is what we agree to do. We've gotten a lot of experience at these sorts of things over the last years, haven't we?"

Rick nodded, giving all of them a very solemn look. "We have, and I would trust any one of you on such a team, but let's hear what Aaron and Daryl have to say before we make any definite plans. They will have seen things out there, and with their combined experience they might have suggestions on our best course of action."


	5. Chapter 5

It was dark when he woke up, and cold. In the last days of autumn it wasn't rare, but it was a little unexpected. It was warm outside when they had left the walls, and he hadn't needed the light jacket that Maggie tried to encourage him to wear. He had brought it with, of course, because the weather was always unpredictable now and a cold rain would have ruined the good day. Glenn shook his head and then winced, he was having trouble concentrating on any one thought and that was a bad sign.

He looked around the small room he was in, and frowned. He was laying in an old fashioned hospital bed and the walls were a sterile, uniform white. The floor looked like a tile that should have been replaced a few decades before, and the one light fixture was behind a cage. He couldn't tell if it would work or not, but from the chill in the room he was guessing that it wouldn't. The only door to the small room looked like a security door, metal with a narrow window along the left side. There was a real window, narrow and set high up the wall opposite the doorway, but it also had bars covering it. The room reminded him of the old hospitals and asylums that were visited by the ghost hunting teams he had an interest in before all of the world became a ghost town.

He was also alone in the room, and he couldn't remember how he got there. He got up slowly, his headache making the room seem to sway for a moment, and crossed to the door. He pounded on it, "Hey! Anyone out there?"

Glenn listened hard, but there wasn't any sound from the hallway. Instead he noticed that there was a steady pounding on the wall next to the bed, and he moved over to see if he could be heard through the cinderblocks. "Hey, can you hear me?"

There was more knocking, but he didn't know if they meant they heard him or if they were just continuing what they were already doing. He knocked three times, and waited for a few seconds before the person on the other side knocked three times in reply. If they couldn't speak to one another the knocking wasn't going to get them anywhere. He couldn't even tell if it was one of the other run team members or if it was a stranger.

He knocked once more and then moved back to sit on the edge of the bed. While he was fully clothed, all of the other things he had with him in the van were missing. He hadn't been wearing the backpack he normally carried though, as he had been driving. That tickled his memory a little. An accident.

He rubbed his head and tried to think, had they been in a car accident? And someone found them and brought them here? It felt right, but he wasn't sure. "Shit, why can't I remember?" He laid back on the bed, willing himself to remember whatever had brought him to this room, but all he managed to do was fall back asleep.

A sharp bang woke him instantly some time later. He couldn't tell how much time had passed, but the room was darker and there was someone standing in front of the door. Unfortunately, the door was closed behind that person and they were pointing a gun at him. It was a man. He was tall and shaggy, and Glenn thought that he was an older white man, but his skin was so dirty it was hard to tell.

"I'd apologize for waking you, but it was my intention to do so." The man cocked his head to the side, considering Glenn and waiting for a response. When Glenn remained silent he continued, "We didn't intend to kill your friend, so I will apologize for that."

Kill his friend? He didn't remember that, and he tried not to show any fear as he wondered who it was that was killed. If it had been Tara, he knew that Beth would retreat back into how she had been for so long after her own mother was finally put down. He didn't want anyone else to have died either, there was no good person to lose on their small team and they were all friends.

"I guess you don't remember that. I think you have a head injury. After the crash, one of my men got a little over enthusiastic about subduing your people." He shrugged, "I didn't intend for anyone to die, or to be too injured."

Glenn frowned, staring at the man for a long time. "What did you intend? Are we prisoners here? Is that why you have a gun on me now?"

"Prisoners, or guests. It depends on how friendly you are with us." The man nodded suddenly, as if coming to a decision. "You can call me Daniel." He waited for a moment, "Now would be the polite time to tell me your name."

"Glenn." It was a grudging admission. Giving the man any personal information seemed like a bad idea. He was certainly going to hold anything about Maggie and his family to himself.

"Nice to meet you Glenn." Daniel lowered the gun slightly, "Now I want to explain something to you, and let you think about it for a while. Alright? We stopped your lead car because we don't like anyone coming through our territory and force seems to be the only thing a lot of survivors seem to understand now. One of your people shot first, we only returned fire."

He hesitated and Glenn froze in place, still trying to remember what had happened. "We thought only to stop you, turn you back after finding out where you were going, and that would have been that. However, you aren't like the other survivors we've encountered. You're clean, well-fed, and well-outfitted. It's obvious that you come from some kind of community, a home base perhaps?"

Glenn forced his face to stay blank, but he knew he was always horrible at keeping a poker face. He really tried though.

"Don't worry, I know that you will have people to protect back there, but think about this; you have people you could protect here too. Two other men and a woman. They're safety depends on you, just as your safety depends on them. All of you are being told this same message, and all of you are being given an option to help us and yourselves. Tell us where your community is and we'll take you back there with us."

Glenn took a deep breath, but Daniel continued speaking, "Think about it. I'll be back in the morning to see what you want to do." He knocked on the door behind him, still holding the gun on Glenn, and backed out of the room when the door was opened. There was an audible locking sound and then the room was still again.

"Shit." Glenn looked up at the narrow window near the ceiling of the outer wall. It was almost full dark. Maggie was going to be freaking out, and he wasn't even sure if it was the same day that they had left Alexandria. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. It was obvious that he wasn't going to get far on his own, and he had to hope that none of the others would give in to this demand for information. They couldn't let these people find Alexandria, when they didn't know how dangerous they were yet. He really didn't want to find that out though.


	6. Chapter 6

Beth listened calmly as Aaron and Daryl outlined what they had seen out on the road, but she was already planning something else in her head. When her eyes met her sister's she knew that Maggie was doing the same thing.

Rick beat them both to it though, "No one goes back out tonight. There isn't anything to be done right now, in the dark."

Everyone else nodded and Daryl spread the map across the dining table, "We thought that this might be a good place to start looking." He pointed out a small town, to the south of the highway where the cars had been left, "We just have to be careful. Whoever did this was watching and they know the area better than we do. If they see anyone approaching it could all go badly, or the search team might get captured too."

Rick nodded, "Agreed. It might take longer, but it makes sense to approach on foot. Anyone driving might trigger another attack."

Maggie exchanged another look with Beth and then spoke up. "We don't know what's happening to our team. Going slow might mean they're all dead before we find them."

Daryl nodded, "We can try to get as close as possible before going on foot, look for signs of where they went, but it might all go to hell no matter what we do. We don't know anything about these people or where they went."

"We keep talking about a search team. Is there a team already?" Aaron looked up from the map, seeking an answer from Rick.

"Beth and Carol have already claimed spots on any team going out. The rest?" Rick looked around at the group and hands started going up; Maggie was the first, but Rosita and Abraham both raised their hands too, and Daryl. Michonne looked around the room at everyone too, and then raised her hand, with Carl quickly following. Rick frowned at that, not sure if he should forbid it or go along with it. His son was growing up and was becoming skilled, and more importantly wouldn't like being told no in front of the whole group like this. They locked eyes for several seconds before Rick finally nodded his consent. The others would make sure Carl was alright, as much as they could.

"I guess we have a team then. Daryl, you know the most about the scene perhaps you should lead. Come up with a plan before morning, together, and we'll make sure you have whatever supplies you need before you leave the gates." Rick slapped Daryl's shoulder, "We should know what those plans are in case we need a back-up team later." He took Judith from Carl, "I'll Make coffee for you all."

Daryl nodded absently, and then turned to Aaron, "We could use you out there, you saw as much as I did."

Aaron nodded, "It isn't that I don't care about the run team, but I made a promise to Eric. Recruiting is different, but things like this? He would insist on going with if I did, and I don't want him out there if he doesn't have to be."

"I understand, I do. Glenn has had me stay behind more than once, for the same reason." Maggie gave him a small smile, "We would appreciate it if you would help us plan though. Maybe you'll remember something that Daryl misses."

Beth stood, "I could go down the block and invite Eric to join us."

Once they were all fortified with caffeine and had the chance to look over the maps the planning went quickly. Aaron and Daryl went over their observations again, and the team asked several questions. Maggie was concerned about the van because Glenn had been driving it. Beth was worried about the car because Tara usually was in that vehicle, and she wanted to know if there had been blood anywhere in the front. They were answered patiently, though Beth began to bristle under what she saw as pity. As grateful as she was for the help in finding the run team, part of her wanted to grab Maggie and head out on their own.

The only thing keeping her from saying anything was the desire to keep everything she was feeling to herself, but she knew she was failing miserably when she kept getting knowing looks from Eric and Aaron. When Daryl looked at her as though she were his little sister, in trouble, again she almost snapped though. She didn't need them to protect her, or her feelings, she needed them to find Tara.

The plans were finished, dividing them into two groups who would maintain radio contact, and Beth was glad that she and Maggie were on different teams. She figured if one of them found their people if would mean at they would look after each other's interests. She would be able to reassure Glenn that Maggie was alright and looking for him, just as Maggie would do for her if that group found Tara.

Daryl finally nodded over the notes Carol had written up, "I'll go over these with Rick in the morning before we leave. We should head out just after dawn though. Pack tonight. Carol and I will get the gear sorted in the two cars." He walked to the door with Aaron and Eric, and Beth turned toward Maggie, "You can stay with me tonight. Let's pack your stuff and bring it to my room, then you can help me get a few things."

She ignored the looks they both got when they left the room, but as soon as they were in Maggie's room she sighed, "I keep thinking that I don't want to have to put up with the way they are all looking at us, and then it all seems to petty when we don't know what Tara and Glenn are going through right now. If they're alive, or hurt, or cold, or hungry. I hate this not knowing."

Maggie nodded, getting her old backpack out from the closet. "I still want to go right now, even though I know Daryl is right. We'd get lost in the woods, or run into walkers and have to high-tail it for home again." She jerked a few things from the dresser, shoving them into the back pack. "I'm glad that Daryl doesn't want to give up if we don't find them the first day, but I know they won't let us stay out there for long unless we find something."

Beth nodded, absently, fingering the fabric on the jacket hanging from the back of the door. "What would they do to stop us? You know Daryl wouldn't hurt us to get his way, and I don't think any of the others would either."

Maggie paused, "They wouldn't be able to do much to stop us, if we went against their wishes." She reached out to her sister, taking Beth's arm, "Beth, are you really in for the long-run with Tara? I know I've encouraged you, and teased you, and I like her I really do, but sometimes I look at you and I wonder. You've been so stoic tonight I started to wonder if you were already giving up. Like you did with Zach."

"I have to focus. There isn't time to cry right now, maybe later if everything falls apart, but not right now." Beth shook her head, "Maggie, I never questioned your feelings for Glenn. Don't make me explain myself to you."

Maggie let go of her sister's arm, "Alright, but one day we're going to have a good long talk about our relationships and we'll be as girly as we ever were when I was a teenager. It's my obligation as an older sister. We'll find Glenn and Tara, and the entire team, and everything will be okay."

Beth stared at her sister, not willing to be that optimistic yet, "Sure, everything will be okay."


	7. Chapter 7

The man hadn't touched him, which Glenn had found a little surprising. The last time he had been held captive had been at Terminus and his death had been eminent until Carol intervened. The time before had been at Woodbury where he was assaulted and nearly killed by a walker while taped to a chair. This time was confusing.

Daniel was standing in front of the door again, though his gun was holstered for the moment, and he was speaking calmly about how they could proceed. "You seem surprised that we haven't tortured you for information. No one has been beaten, the girl is fine too. We don't believe in hurting people. We just want the information you have. We want to know where your community is so we can go there."

"Why?" That was the thing that Glenn didn't understand. If they were just looking for a place to call home, why kidnap people to get them to talk? How did Liz end up dead if they didn't want to cause harm?

"We just want a safe place, and it looks like you have one." Daniel chuckled, "Most of the people that pass through? We stop them, have a little chat and they keep moving on. They're like us; dirty, hungry, desperate for some stability. We have stability here, but there are few of us and most don't have the skills to last in the wilderness. Most of us came from D.C. We worked in white-collar jobs, had nice apartments, took the Metro to work instead of driving, and bought all our food pre-packaged at the local supermarkets. We didn't need to know how to survive like this. Now we do."

Glenn stared at him for a long time, "But why should we tell you? Why would we want you there, living in our neighborhood, if you are kidnappers?"

"I can't give you a good answer for that. I know you come from good people though; survivors. They came looking for you." Daniel shrugged, "We didn't have time to reset our trap before they found it and left again. More came the next day. Looking for you. Your people must care about the members of your group, beyond what you can do for one another. We want that too. We can bring that, I suppose. We aren't all bad."

"Liz might disagree." Glenn was glad to hear that someone was looking for them, but it worried him that they were being watched. It would make it harder for them to find the run team without being caught. If this group became impatient, or desperate, they might break their promises about not harming anyone.

"And I've apologized for that already. We really don't shoot first, and we only defend what is ours, or ourselves. That is why it would be better for you to talk now, before your would-be rescuers find us all and start a fight." Daniel gestured toward the window, where the light was becoming dim again, "I don't like making threats, and you can probably see that I'm pretty bad at following through on them anyway, but think about your friends out there. They could be safe and warm, instead of being in the cold woods where there are roamers and all sorts of other dangers."

Glenn shook his head, "We don't do things this way."

"Do what?"

"Bring people into the community." Glenn sighed, "There is a process for recruiting people. They're watched, evaluated, and then sometimes approached to come back with the recruiters. When my group was brought in it was called an audition, but it was like an interview." He frowned and looked toward the window, hoping that Maggie was safe. "Grabbing us like you did? That isn't a good way to audition for a welcome."

Daniel listened, nodding, "I understand, but that is still the only thing we want from you people. You have safety, and you could save all of the people here. We aren't that many, and we don't need that much. We just want a chance to survive like humans again."

Beth was cold, but she kept her mouth shut and followed Carol's directions. They had driven close enough to see buildings through the trees, and then walked into the small town. Nothing living had been moving, and they cleared the handful of walkers they had crossed paths with. It kept them quiet and careful as they started exploring and searching for signs of other people. There was no sign of the van or other working vehicles, and Beth felt that there wasn't much hope of finding the team here, but she did what was told anyway.

She hoped that Maggie was having better luck, and was about to say something to Carl when Daryl held up a hand to get their attention. "Do you hear that?"

Everyone froze in place to listen as hard as they could, looks of concentration upon their faces. There was a distant sound, and Beth smiled as she realized that it was a vehicle coming along the road in their direction. They were near an open storefront, and Daryl waved them all inside, before ducking around the door frame to hide from view. Without all of the sounds of a living society noise traveled further so they had a few minutes before the vehicle came into view.

Beth jerked forward, Daryl's quick grasp of her arm keeping her from darting into the street. It was the run team's van, and they couldn't see the driver, but Daryl could guess that it wasn't being driven by one of their friends. He hissed and Beth stopped moving. "Ain't them."

She frowned at him and shook his arm off, but nodded and stepped back again. Carol touched her shoulder briefly, exchanging a look with Daryl before looking to Carl. The boy nodded, already understanding what they wanted. He got Beth's attention and they moved further into the store.

"If he's right we can't let them see us, and if he's wrong? They would be headed for home and someone would call us to let us know when they got there. Better to be hidden, right?" Carl picked up the empty packaging for some batteries before tossing it back on the shelf. The store had been picked over, more than once he thought, and he couldn't see anything they could use.

"Right. I just reacted without thinking." Beth sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wish I could be so calm like they are, but I keep worrying about what Tara is going through right now. What if she's hurt?"

Carl turned, catching Beth's eyes, "She'll be okay. If not right this minute, she will be again when we find her. You'll be there for her, no matter what, right?"

Beth nodded, "I will. No matter what."

"Good." He gestured toward the front of the store where Carol was waving to get their attention, "At least we know we're going in the right direction. Maybe it won't be much longer before we find the team."

Carol handed them their packs again, "We're going to head in the direction the van was coming from, but off the road a little and on foot. In case they are watching." She glanced at Daryl and he nodded before leaving the store. "I'll take the rear, if you're ready?"

Beth took a deep breath, "We're ready."


End file.
